There are hundreds of different kinds of music out there. From pop to metal, rock, disco, techno, rave, you name it, and countless mixes of all of them. But this particular night belonged to pure, unfiltered heavy metal. Heavy, sharp guitar tones, a punchy rhythm section, melodic guitar solos, and bold, sometimes almost operatic vocals that could snap into a full-on scream at any moment. Add in leather jackets, leather pants, spikes, and long hair, and you’ve got the picture. That’s exactly the sound that took over Club Academy in Manchester on September 5th, 2026. Three bands took the stage that night, all flying the same flag.
The evening opened with White Lightning, a five-piece from Merseyside brought together by a shared love of heavy music. They played a short set of their biggest tracks, including ‘Poison Like You’ and ‘White Lightning’, and it was clear from the first note that these guys can actually play. The set was full of twin guitar riffs, mean grooves, and big singalong choruses. Guitarist Luke stood out in particular, running through an impressive range of techniques: tapping, pinch harmonics, the works. Singer JJ showed off just as much range, swinging from smooth, easy melodies to sharp, high-pitched screams. The rest of the band held their own just as well. It was the perfect warm-up for the crowd that had gathered that night.
Next up were Rattlesnakes, a young British metal band out of Nottingham who only got started in 2024 but are already making a name for themselves fast on the UK metal scene. The band is fronted by Rowena Neale, who showed up that night in her signature tall fur boots and a denim vest. She delivered some seriously powerful vocals, proving she can not only sing but genuinely move a crowd. Their sound leans heavily on classic British metal from the 80s, and the set was packed with sharp guitar work mixed with the speed and drive of speed metal. Guitarists Jacob Shingler and Joshua Brown sounded fantastic together, their parts locking in and harmonizing perfectly. Bassist Elliot Dryden and drummer Nathan Gratton round out the lineup. It was another set that cranked up the energy and heat in the room. No surprise, then, that the band signed their first official deal in 2026 with the well-known French label Listenable Records. They’re currently gearing up to release their debut album, Shadows in the Night. A band clearly on the way up, and it’ll be interesting to see how far they go.
Headlining the night was Wailing Banshee, a Manchester band finally getting to play a home show. They’ve been together since 2019 and are widely seen as one of the rising young names in British heavy metal. The lineup features Dani Louise on vocals, whose powerful voice can shift effortlessly from soft, delicate singing to a full, forceful scream. Guitarists Al McKenzie and Harry Darbyshire were a highlight of the whole night, trading off between heavy riffs and technically sharp solos, their playing locking together into something close to perfect. Genuinely impressive stuff. The rhythm section, Ritchie Parkhouse on bass and Charlie Morris on drums, matched that level note for note, rounding out a great performance from the whole band. They played a 16-song set that night, mixing in big hits like ‘Worlds Apart’ and ‘His Dark Materials’ with a few special surprises. For the first time on this tour, they played ‘Fistful of Glass’ live. There was also room for something brand new: ‘All Guns Blazing’, the lead single off their upcoming album. And they closed things out with a classic cover, Ronnie James Dio‘s ‘Bible Black’.
All in all, it was a great night for fans of heavy music. The sound in the club was solid, the lighting looked good (though it leaned heavily on backlighting, which made photos tricky). Worth noting too: while the guitarists and singers looked fantastic up on stage, especially the two frontwomen, the drummers were harder to spot given how the stage was set up. They were tucked away at the back, boxed in between two speaker stacks. That didn’t stop them from playing brilliantly, though.
All told, it was a night full of classic heavy metal that didn’t let the fans down. Every band on the bill is worth keeping an eye on. Rattlesnakes and Wailing Banshee in particular deserve more attention, but White Lightning could easily shake things up in the future too. Let’s see how far they all go.
